13mm shaft feel vs. Carbon

[336Robin]

I might be wrong but it sounds like your carbon might be a little bendy under hard stroke shots. If that's the case then you'll get unexpected results on hard stroked shots. I don't think it possible to reduce squirt to the point that you can't hard stroke your way out of making a shot.

I have two Schon's now, and 2 Jacoby Ultra wood shafts, and one Jacoby 12.7 carbon for them. First bought a Jacoby Ultra when I had my 1st Schon and really liked it. When my wife stole that Schon from me and told me to buy another, I was going to order another Ultra right away, but had a chance to try out their carbon shaft out at a state tournament and ordered that in a 12.7mm as it matched up with the ultra wood, instead. After getting the carbon shaft and playing with it for a few weeks, I ordered another Ultra wood shaft. I just had a hard time adjusting to it. The hit was very similar once the tip broke in, seemed to have a little more action with the carbon, incredibly smooth and slick with the carbon, yet I just was not adjusting to it. I have let 3 other players play some with my Jacoby carbon and they absolutely love it, so it's probably just me and I still do practice with it now and then and sometimes play great, and sometimes the ball takes off line for me. I'm sure it's just lack of concertation on my part. It also seems like a lighter feeling in the front than the Ultra wood shaft. I really like the Ultra wood shaft, although it has a much different hit than a stock Shon shaft. Just for grins awhile back, I turned a stock Schon shaft down to 12.6mm at the tip, but left a fairly fast taper on it similar to the stock shaft. Even though the tip is smaller, the shaft actually feels better in my hand than the Ultra as it's actually a little fatter about 6 to 8" back from the tip. I really like this stock shaft as it gives a great feedback, and just is pleasing to shoot. I do shoot better with the Ultra shaft though, but could be because thats what I am most used to, and the Ultra shaft has less deflection than the Schon. Also as to the hit on a Ultra, I am using Ultraskin Fire medium tips and like that tip alot, tried the black softs, but like the Fire mediums better. May try a black medium at some point on one of the two shafts to compare.

 

[CocoboloCowboy]

I love maple shafts- I once tried the best CF shaft out there- I STILL love maple shafts- next week I will be putting for sale what is considered the best CF cue and shaft combination - it is brand new in the box- Cynergy True- wood with CF shaft- I just got it in a trade this week- I only opened the box to be sure it is all there and brand new and it is- I will stay with my all wood cues-

Wood is fine, I tried friends Cue with CF Shaft, said no big deal.

Wood is ok.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

No its a square shaft Pat. Geezus. You're sort of geeking out on the unnecessary detail a little don't you think?

Just trying to understand what you're talking about. I take it "short taper" refers to the short untapered (i.e., cylindrical) part of the shaft.

But you're right - it's not necessary to understand you.

pj
chgo

 

[boogieman]

I have recently switched back to a Mezz wood shaft after playing with a Mezz carbon fiber shaft for the past 2 years. So far I’m extremely pleased with the results. Ease of maintenance was never a factor for me.

The feel / feedback of a wood shaft means far more to me than the lower deflection. I’ve found I actually prefer a little more deflection, likely since I’ve learned to compensate for deflection my entire pool playing life, until these last 2 years.

I bought and used a Hsunami kielwood for maybe 4-6 months. I was onto the shaft and it was great, but I missed the feel of my old McDermott shaft from the mid 90s. They knew what they were doing. It's a lot harder to get good maple now, but those old McDermotts had damn fine shaft wood for a mass produced cue. I made the mistake of using my old shaft one night for shits and grins. It felt like an old friend and that was the last time I used the kielwood. I sold it to a buddy who loves it, but he has played with LD for over a decade.

Deflection just feels right to me, even when I was entirely used to a LD. I want the feel. I'm a realist, I will never be a pro pool player. I enjoy it as a mix between a hobby and an obsession. I want the feel for maximum enjoyment of my hobby. I shoot recurve bows but I want nothing to do with a compound bow. Similar thing.

 

[ChrisinNC]

I bought and used a Hsunami kielwood for maybe 4-6 months. I was onto the shaft and it was great, but I missed the feel of my old McDermott shaft from the mid 90s. They knew what they were doing. It's a lot harder to get good maple now, but those old McDermotts had damn fine shaft wood for a mass produced cue. I made the mistake of using my old shaft one night for shits and grins. It felt like an old friend and that was the last time I used the kielwood. I sold it to a buddy who loves it, but he has played with LD for over a decade.

Deflection just feels right to me, even when I was entirely used to a LD. I want the feel. I'm a realist, I will never be a pro pool player. I enjoy it as a mix between a hobby and an obsession. I want the feel for maximum enjoyment of my hobby. I shoot recurve bows but I want nothing to do with a compound bow. Similar thing.

I think if you took opinions from those of us players that are old enough to have played for many years with wood shafts before switching to the carbon fiber shaft, I think you’d find possibly 50% or more might prefer or have switched back to wood over the carbon fiber shafts.

 

[336Robin]

Just trying to understand what you're talking about. I take it "short taper" refers to the short untapered (i.e., cylindrical) part of the shaft.

But you're right - it's not necessary to understand you.

pj
chgo

Youre doing your usual stuff. I don't need it.

 

[chenjy9]

I think if you took opinions from those of us players that are old enough to have played for many years with wood shafts before switching to the carbon fiber shaft, I think you’d find possibly 50% or more might prefer or have switched back to wood over the carbon fiber shafts.

I have to ask though, is this due to bias towards something you grew accustomed to or because you legitimately feel solid maple shafts are better than shafts made of composite material?

 

[ChrisinNC]

I have to ask though, is this due to bias towards something you grew accustomed to or because you legitimately feel solid maple shafts are better than shafts made of composite material?

There is no correct answer, it’s a personal preference thing, just like soft tips versus hard tips, just like cue lengths and weights.

For me, the feel of the high quality Mezz wood shaft lines offer superior feedback and feel on a hit compared to any carbon fiber shaft I have ever tried. It doesn’t mean someone else will feel the same.

 

[chenjy9]

But do you actually perform objectively better with it or just prefer the shot and stroke feedback? You are absolutely correct though that there is no right answer. I am simply curious about the performance aspect.


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[conetip]

Robin, have you tried diffent tips on the carbon shaft? The same shaft, different people , is a different tip to find what they like about it. After about 10 people the tips are the same for a few. This is what I found with 10 different tips with carbon shafts.

 

[336Robin]

I think if you took opinions from those of us players that are old enough to have played for many years with wood shafts before switching to the carbon fiber shaft, I think you’d find possibly 50% or more might prefer or have switched back to wood over the carbon fiber shafts.

I played with carbon a few days because I guy wanted to sell me a Defy shaft. It wasn't for me esp not at the price of a new one.

 

[garczar]

Carbon fiber shafts are stone dead.

Mezz' offering is the best of the bunch I've tried, even so it can't beat the near "musical" feedback of a high ringcount, perfectly tapered maple shaft. The ones that sing when you hit the ball well. Maybe technology can improve to the point of making the carbon shafts hit better in a few years, but it's looking pretty bleak and the problem of dead feedback is spread across the board. There may be an inherent problem of the material itself, and not merely the implementation.

Seriously?? Go to almost any tournament and just look around. Looks to me like maple shafts are the one's that are becoming 'stone dead'. I still use maple(A Mezz with some cf inside it) buts it pretty clear that cf shafts are here to stay. The ones i've hit had really good feedback imo. A lot depends on the tip as previously stated.

 

[336Robin]

Just my opinion but if people would have employed the playing of side spin by going closer to the center of the cue ball
the carbon fiber or the LD shafts would never have become as much of "a thing."

 

[ChrisinNC]

But do you actually perform objectively better with it or just prefer the shot and stroke feedback? You are absolutely correct though that there is no right answer. I am simply curious about the performance aspect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, currently I’m performing better with the wood shaft.

 

[PoolBoy1]

I wish my cue sounded like the xylophone noises skeletons made in old cartoons. I have no idea how to make it happen but I wish I did.

Man or She Man I hear it from your text. Beautiful. Be Well............

 

[muskyed]

Although at this time I prefer my jacoby ultra wood shafts more than the carbon one I got from them, there are some things that the carbon does better, such as I seem to get a little more action and draw on the carbon, and who knows, the carbon may actually be a better shaft for me if I were to just shoot with it for a longer period of time instead of switching back and forth. I know that when I got mine I was showing a fellow league member after shooting against him that night, and he asked me why I was shooting with my wood shaft instead of my new carbon, and I said my shot making seemed to be better with the wood. He told me he will never go back to wood but when he first tried their carbon shafts he had trouble with his shot making also, and it took about a month of solid play with it to get to where he could appreciate its benefits. As to the future of carbon shafts on production cues, I think they are here to stay. While at this time they are way too costly for what you are getting, for a manufacture they offer consistency not available in a wood shaft, and I believe an easier to manufacture shaft. Think of a quality wood shaft that has to be turned and rested for months between for at least three times or more, or glue up laminations first, and then you still don't know what you are going to end up with. Who knows, as the cue maker was not the person that cut down that tree, it could have been a tree that was leaning and will always have stress in it no mater how much you rest it between multiple turnings. Case in point on wood, I also have three McDermott's with Gcore shafts, and ea shaft shoots different, with one shaft that has an exceptional hit. At first I thought it was the butts as one is linen, one leather, and one no wrap. I switched the shafts around all the butts and found that the butt made no noticeable difference, but in fact the one good shaft was always the best playing one no matter what butt it was on.

 

[boogieman]

I have to ask though, is this due to bias towards something you grew accustomed to or because you legitimately feel solid maple shafts are better than shafts made of composite material?

Personally I find it more fun to shoot with one. I also like the sound much better. For me sound is a huge component.